Creamy Corn Soup with Roasted Peppers

creamy corn soup with roasted peppers and spicy oil

About the Soup

Arugula, corn and roasted peppers make one of my favorite chopped salads. So why not make a soup?

I wanted to try Tal Ronnen’s Cashew Cream recipe from his book, the conscious cook. Supposedly, raw cashews can mimic the texture and replace cream without altering taste. In the past, I’ve used soy, coconut and almond milk as substitutes for milk. I’ve never used them in savory recipes and I wouldn’t want to. They tasted like what they’re supposed to-soy, coconut and almond.

Could cashews be the answer? I needed to try it.

Cashew Cream Recipe by Tal Ronnen

a page from Tal Ronnen’s The Conscious Cook

I followed the recipe as instructed. I have a Vita-Mix blender (pricey, but worth every penny) so it made things a lot easier.

Step 1: Soak raw cashews (I used a 16 oz. bag from Trader Joe’s.)

This is what they look like after being soaked for a few days. The recipe says overnight, but I didn’t get to them till 3 days later.

Step 2: Pour in Vita-Mix and blend until smooth

cashew cream (~5 cups)

The Soup

Serves: ~4-5

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of sweet corn
• 3 roasted peppers*
• 1 loose cup of arugula (garnish)
• 1 cup of cashew cream
• 3 cups of water
• 2-3 tbsp of olive oil (more for frying arugula)
• spicy olive oil (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

* I used Trader Joe’s pre-made fire roasted peppers.

Step 1: Shave the kernels (I used a knife or you can buy a fancy gadget.)

Step 2: pour olive oil onto a medium heated pan and saute the kernels with some salt and pepper for 5-7 mins until color changes

Step 3: set 2/3 cup of sautéed kernels aside

Step 4: in your Vita-Mix, add sautéed kernels, roasted peppers, cashew cream, 2 cups of water and blend

Step 5: in a large pot, pour mixture and heat; add 2/3 cup of kernels back in (adjust salt and pepper) and stir; use the remaining cup of water to adjust desired creaminess

Step 6: keep soup on very low heat and prepare to make the garnish

Fried Arugula

Step 1: fill pot with oil 1/2 inch deep

Step 2: after patting dry arugula, drop a few pieces in and fry for 30 seconds each

Step 3: remove and drain on paper towel immediately

fried arugula

Conclusion

This soup was creamy and delicious! There was no after taste. It was a true replacement for cream. I couldn’t believe it! The flavor was amazing!

I encourage you to try this recipe. You will never look at cashews the same.

Enjoy!

Spicy Herb Pasta

Spicy Herb Pasta

There is a bottle of spicy olive oil in the cabinet that has been untouched for weeks. Every time I reach in for something I hear it screaming at me. This recipe is just for you. Though it’s not apparent in the photos, you’re what makes this dish so good.

Serving Size: ~3-4

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. of whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 1/2-2 cups of cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup of pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp of water
• ~1 tbsp of brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of dried herbs*
• 1 1/2 loose cups of fresh basil
• Olive oil for sauteing
• Spicy Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• salt and pepper to taste

* I used a mix of thyme, rosemary, sage & oregano. Use fresh herbs if available.

To Make:

Step 1: in a large pot, boil spaghetti (follow package instructions), drain and set aside

Trader Joe’s organic whole wheat spaghetti w/o the wheaty taste

Step 2: wash and slice tomatoes

Step 3: slice olives

Step 4: wash and cut basil (chiffonade if you wish)

Step 5: in a lightly oiled pan, saute tomatoes, olives and herbs on medium heat for 3-5 minutes

Step 6: sprinkle sugar, water and saute for 1-2 minutes

Step 7: in the same pan on low heat, mix in spaghetti, drizzle with spicy olive oil, add salt & pepper to taste

Step 8: turn off heat and mix in basil

Enjoy!